By Ronnie Nathanielsz
World Boxing Foundation welterweight champion Dindo Castanares of the Philippines made a successful first defense of his title with a fifth round TKO win over game Australian challenger Steven Marks at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Center, Saturday night. Marks dislocated his shoulder and his corner called it quits at the end of the fourth round.
Referee Bruce McTavish said it was an action-packed bout with both fighters going toe-to-toe adding that “the crowd loved it.” Marks himself told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today in an overseas telephone conversation that “I threw a punch and my shoulder popped.” He claimed he had “no problems” despite being decked in the second round where he received a standing eight-count and said he was “looking forward to a rematch” which is likely to be staged in Australia after his shoulder injury heals.
WBF president Mick Croucher who was at ringside said, prior to the fight, that regardless of the result an Australian promoter had committed to stage a rematch. In a pre-fight hype promoter Sammy Gello-anu predicted that it would be an explosive fight between “two warriors who don’t run” and the fight lived up to the promoter’s billing.
Well known Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer who handles Castanares said it was “a very good fight” and that Marks hurt Castanares in the first round and the normally slow-starting champion nicknamed “Diesel” because of this was “groggy” but recovered to drop Marks in the very next round.
Castanares who won the WBF crown with a fourth round TKO of Guillermo Mosquera last December 11 in Auckland, New Zealand improved his record to 16-3-1 with 12 knockouts while the 31 year old Marks dropped to 12-10-2 with 6 KO’s.
